


The Vast Expanse Between Here and Tomorrow

by orphan_account



Series: Make It Happen [3]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:42:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23735572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It can get pretty cold in the winter, but they’ve got blankets and furs. They have the skills needed to make it to spring and then into glorious summer. It doesn’t snow often here, but that doesn’t mean a December rain can’t be downright miserable.It happens during one of these December rains that Jack happens to fall sick.
Relationships: Jeremy Dooley/Gavin Free/Ryan Haywood/Michael Jones/Jack Pattillo/Geoff Ramsey
Series: Make It Happen [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1681399
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	The Vast Expanse Between Here and Tomorrow

Many common things these days can mean an automatic death sentence. The cold, a broken bone, a simple scratch even. Medical materials are hoarded and sought after by everyone. They’re often the first thing bandits usually look for when they rob you blind. Gone are the days when people are concerned by the expiry date on a bottle of Tylenol. Everything goes, even experimental home remedies.

They’ve been traveling as a group of six for a while now. They’ve managed to find a relatively zombie free area where they’re able to fortify a house for their own comfort. They’ve laid out spikes surrounding the perimeter, built gardens, figured out a new system to purify their water supply. It’s good. It’s good considering their circumstances in a zombie filled world where civilization has collapsed.

The house is mainly heated by a wood stove. It can get pretty cold in the winter, but they’ve got blankets and furs. They have the skills needed to make it to spring and then into glorious summer. It doesn’t snow often here, but that doesn’t mean a December rain can’t be downright miserable.

It happens during one of these December rains that Jack happens to fall sick. Jack is their leader, the heart of this family they found. He’s the only reason why most of them decided to stick around as long as they did. He knows more about wilderness survival than any of them. He knows how to garden, how to preserve food, how to hunt, and how to hide. As the winter rains close in, they have some last minute repairs to make on the aged roof of their home. The rains begin to fall but both Ryan and Jack continue to make sure all the holes are fixed. They’re not sure when they’ll be able to come up here again in the coming days, but when they finish, they’re both soaked to the bone. Geoff’s gone ahead and boiled some water over the fire for a warm bath, and for a while everything seems like it’ll be okay.

Until the next day when Jack starts sniffling a bit. They brush it off as something attributed to the change in temperature. Just some sniffles.

Until the sniffles turn into a cough which turn into a fever by the end of the night. Jack’s health has deteriorated so rapidly that all of them are worried. They talk in hushed voices in the kitchen.

“Trading post is our closest bet,” Ryan says. “Take us three days to walk there. Two if we hustle and ford the river. Get the medication and come home within a few days. So. Who wants to go?”

Ryan is already offering to go since he knows the terrain better, but the others seem a bit reluctant. Jack is the one thing keeping them from starving or freezing, so if they lose him, it might as well be the whole house they’re losing.

Michael offers to go with him. The others all feel the need to stay home, stay behind and keep Jack safe. Ryan and Michael both get it, but they’re sensitive to people in pain, people suffering. Can’t watch it. Can’t stand it. They leave early the next morning with as few provisions as they can manage so they won’t be hindered along the way.

They set out, silent, not talking for many hours if it can be helped. They work better in silence, and both of them figure that there’s not much to say on the matter. They can’t bring up Jack, not now. It’s too soon, too raw to bring up. Thinking of the others pacing back and forth, trying to do their best to keep Jack, well, _alive._ Keep his temperature down, try to get him to drink, to eat, but it’s not easy.

The river is between them and the trading post. It’d take another day to get to the bridge to cross safely and that’s not something they could afford. Previously, they had made a raft for this type of situation. Ryan and Michael put it to good use and crossed the river, the water frigid and rushing from the sudden increase in rain.

Any type of travel is difficult these days. You never know when some sort of undead thing will stumble across your path. They have to be on the edge at all times, ready to move at any sound. The trip is treacherous, but it has to be done. If not, Jack probably won’t make it.

They get to the trading post in good time. They track down the pharmaceutical place, which operates out of an old gun store, so it’s pretty locked down tight from the bars over the windows. Makes sense. Drugs are worth more than guns these days, since anything could be made into a weapon with ease.

They get to the drug dealer, weary, wet, and on edge. Michael’s the one to approach the dealer first.

“We need something for a fever,” he says, gruffly, sternly, both fists on the counter.

The dealer pulls out the medication they need and gives them a price.

“That’s outrageous!” Michael shouts. “You can’t fucking do that!”

Just before it seems like Michael’s going to climb over the counter and give the dealer a piece of his mind, Ryan comes up and sets a hand on his shoulder. “Okay, okay, hold on, Michael. We’ll, uh—Sorry, sir, we’ll get out immediately.”

“Get your hands off me!” Michael shakes him off and storms out of the store. “Can you fucking believe that guy? This is a life or death situation here!”

“Michael, Michael, calm down.” Ryan gets up close to him and opens his palm. He shows a small bottle of pills. “I swiped it while he was distracted by your outburst. Now let’s go.”

They both have a sense of urgency as they rush back home. It shouldn’t feel like a life or death situation here, but it does. Anything can go wrong when a cold’s involved. And with the added danger of zombies surrounding them, who knows if they were even able to defend themselves while their two best shots were out getting medication.

Michael’s the one to deliver the pills to Geoff who takes them to the other room for Jack. Ryan remains in the door way, trying to pull off his soaked and muddy boots. He hesitates as he does so, feeling flighty like if Jack’s already taken a turn for the worse, he’s going to duck out. Leave and head out on his own because this isn’t a situation he can deal with.

“I think he’s going to be fine,” Geoff says upon his return. “He’s still a bit weak, but I think we’ll get him there.”

Neither Michael nor Ryan go to see Jack in the bedroom. Not until he can get on his feet and move to the living room, put his feet up by the fire. Then they’ll approach him. Michael perched on the armrest of the couch and Ryan leaning against the side of the couch on the floor. This way they can see the colour coming back to Jack’s cheeks, hear him breathing smoothly and without coughing for the most part.

“Thank you,” he says. “I know it couldn’t have been easy to make that trip in such short of time.”

“Well, who else was going to go?” Michael says. “Gavin? Don’t make me laugh.”

Jack smiles, shakes his head. “Still, I appreciate it. You didn’t have to.”

“But we did,” Ryan says. “Can’t let one of our own go out like that.”

“Yeah, the bitch way. Not even by a zombie. Come on, Jack.” Michael’s gruff attitude is more of a form of defense than anything, but Jack appreciates it regardless. It’s his form of showing he cares, that even if both of them weren’t at his bedside, they were still doing what they could to show that they care about him.


End file.
